


Gone Astray

by lil_1337



Series: Morning After [12]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Angst, Humor, Illness, Injury, M/M, Sexual Language, sexual innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-19 23:32:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10650366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: Written for the Morning After universe.  Trowa and Quatre had plans for their Spring Break, which didn’t include the flu and a motorcycle accident.  Too bad they weren’t in charge of the universe.





	Gone Astray

“You’re burning up.” Quatre put the back of his hand against Trowa’s forehead and frowned. “You should be in bed.” 

“I’m hot for you.” Trowa smirked, but when he reached for Quatre his movements were slow and clumsy, lacking in their usual grace. “That’s how I plan to spend the next nine days except for food and piss breaks.” 

Shaking his head, Quatre couldn’t help but grin though his expression remained concerned. “ _Sleeping_ , not having the best sex of your life thus far.” Moving in closer he could feel the heat coming off of Trowa in waves.

“But I like the sex part better.” Trowa’s smirk widened, taking on an edge, despite the petulant tone of his voice. 

“So, do I,” Quatre laughed, shaking his head. “But, right now, I’m going to walk you back to your dorm and put you to bed so you can rest for a while. After I’m done with my classes then I’ll come get you and we can go back to my place.” He wrapped an arm around Trowa and started leading him away from the coffee shop even though they hadn’t even placed their orders. “Hopefully, you’ll be feeling better by then and we can commence with our regularly scheduled program.”

“Will you bring me soup?” 

“Sure. What kind would you like?” Quatre shifted, his concern deepening, taking more of Trowa’s weight as he accepted it was okay to give into being sick. 

“Anything but potato.” Trowa stumbled, but caught himself as he sneezed; once and then three times more. Sniffling loudly. “Hot and sour is my favorite I feel sick.” 

“Hot and Sour it is. Anything else?” 

“Do you have tea?” 

“Of course.” Quatre chuckled at the idea that it would be possible for him to be without tea. “I just bought a box of peppermint. That’s what I drink when I don’t feel well. It works great for stomach aches too.” 

Trowa nodded, smiling slightly. “My stomach feels fine.” 

“That’s good, stomach bugs are the worst.” Quatre shifted his backpack which was threatening to slide off his shoulder and got a better hold on Trowa. “What does hurt?” 

“Everything else.” Trowa stood for a moment, staring at the closed door of the dorm before realizing that he needed to open it since Quatre’s hands were full. 

Once inside the building Quatre got them moving again. He was concerned with the fact that Trowa’s symptoms seemed to come out of nowhere and were hitting him fast and hard. In the almost seven months they had been dating he had never seen Trowa sick. Not even so much as a cough when the school had been hit when a bad case of the flu back in January. He and Heero were the only people that Quatre knew who hadn’t been affected at all. 

The walk down the hallway was much slower than usual and Quatre was thankful that Trowa lived on the ground floor. Just the idea of trying to get him up the stairs was painful. No doubt the reality would have been a lot worse. 

Once through the door Trowa stumbled over to his bed and fell onto it, his eyes closing immediately. Quatre set down his backpack, grateful that Trowa hadn’t had his when they met for coffee since he had finished his finals earlier in the day. Kneeling down, Quatre carefully untied Trowa’s sneakers and took them off, setting them next to the bed. He was just standing when the door opened and Duo let himself in.. 

“Hey.” Duo dropped his backpack onto his desk and plopped down on his bed. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” 

Quatre settled himself further up the bed, absently rubbing Trowa’s back. “I didn’t plan to be here, but Trowa’s sick.” He bit his lip then shook his head. “It came on really fast. I’m wondering if he needs to go to the health center. Do you think I should call Iria? She’d do a house call if I ask her.”

“Nah, that’s just Tro. He’s weird.” Duo rummaged in his desk and pulled out a box of cold meds. He removed the sheet inside then popped two pills out of the blister packaging. “He doesn’t get sick often, but when he does it just slams him. I dose him with cold meds and let him crash. He usually sleeps for full day then is totally fine. It’s like his immune system totally shuts his body down and then goes to town on whatever he has.” 

“That sounds right.” Quatre took the pills Duo offered so that he could open a bottle of water. “He can be very focused.” 

“No shit.” Duo nudged Trowa and handed him the water when Trowa’s eyes slowly cracked open. “Take these.” 

Trowa accepted the pills and downed them with a swig of water before handing Duo back the bottle. He was asleep again before his hand hit the bed. 

“I’ve got to get to class in a few minutes, but I promised to bring him soup and take him back to my place afterwards. Do you think he’s going to be able to ride on the bike? We could take his car and I could come back and her later if we need to.” 

Duo shook his head. “The pills knock him out so he’s gonna be groggy as hell when he wakes up. Honestly, Q, I’d wait and bring the soup over tomorrow. He’s not gonna eat it. It’ll take an act of God to even get him to do anything besides drool on his pillow.” 

“Okay.” Quatre rose slowly, clearly unhappy with the idea of leaving. Carefully he worked the blankets out from underneath Trowa and pulled them up to cover him. Quatre’s hand lingered, brushing the hair off of Trowa’s face before kissing him lightly on the cheek. “I’ll have my phone with me, text me if he gets worse or if you need anything.” 

“He’ll be fine, but I’ll keep that in mind.” Duo blew his bangs out of his face and smiled reassuringly. “We’ve done this before. Go to class, don’t worry. At least it was today, not in the middle of break.” 

“True.” Quatre shouldered his backpack and gave Trowa another long, worried, look. “It was considerate of him to schedule it that way.” 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hurrying from his final class of the day Quatre pulled his phone from the front pocket of his backpack and scrolled through the menu to check for texts even though there was no notifications showing on the lock screen. Relieved to find that there were none he tucked the phone back into its place and resettled his backpack on his shoulders. No news was good news. Right? No doubt Trowa was sleeping soundly and Duo was watching over him like he promised.

It had been Quatre’s experience that Duo had a very upbeat nature, but that did not mean he was scatterbrained or unreliable. Not that he wasn’t willing to let people make that assumption because it gave him a distinct advantage to be underestimated. Having been in the same position most of his life Quatre appreciated the tactic. He also knew how effective it could be. 

In some ways they were a lot alike and Quatre knew he could trust Duo to take care of Trowa. Besides, they had been roommates for three years now. Duo knew Trowa and his needs a lot better than Quatre. Trying to ignore the feelings of helplessness that overlaid the red hot flash of jealousy Quatre started across the parking lot to where he had parked his bike. The whole thing was stupid and he was just reacting to not being able to do anything to make Trowa feel better. He knew that and yet knowing where the reaction came from didn’t make it go away or make him feel any better. 

He’d never done well with watching the people he loved in need, even if it was something as simple as a cold. Iria had said it was because he was emphatic and the therapist he’d seen for a while in high school had called it survivor guilt. However you defined it Quatre just wanted to make things better - for everyone. It was the reason that every one of his business projects was as green as possible and had a charitable element built in. 

He retrieved his helmet and put it on before settling on his bike. As part of his ritual he patted the beautifully painted yellow and black gas tank in appreciation. She was still in pristine condition despite the fact that he had owned her since he was seventeen. Gently he lowered her down off the kickstand and turned on the ignition, grinning when she purred to life with the first kick. The lot was mostly empty so he cut across it to the exit. Turning right he pulled onto the road then immediately moved over to the left turn lane even though his apartment lay in the other direction. It wouldn’t do any harm to check in and see how Trowa was doing. If he was still sleeping then Quatre would head home and get a jump start on his next project. If he was awake, well, they would play that by ear, depending on how Trowa felt or what he wanted to do. Either way Quatre just needed to see him to reassure himself that Trowa was okay.

Maybe, if it was okay with Duo he would sleep there. The beds were narrow, but Quatre had no doubt that they could make it work for one night. That way if things took a turn for the worse Quatre would be on hand to help. Even if that just mean calling Iria or 911. It wasn’t much, but it was a plan of sorts and Quatre was always happier when he had at least an outline to work from. 

When the arrow appeared, a solid green signal to go, he accelerated, leaning smoothly into the turn then straightening up when he was through the intersection. Without warning a small blue car shot out of a side street pushing the outside edge of the 35 mile per hour speed limit. Clamping on his brakes, Quatre struggled to maintain control of his bike, keeping it upright even as he collided with the driver’s front tire with a sickening thump. The impact sent him flying over the hood before he skidded down the asphalt on his side leaving a trail of torn fabric, skin and blood. He came to a stop in the middle of the lane lying unaware and unmoving as the driver of the car sat staring out the window in stunned horror. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Iria stretched and yawned. Half an hour left of her shift and she could go home and spend some quality time with her pillows. They had been seeing way too little of each other lately and she longed to fix repair that. It had been a long day filled with miserable sick kids and their miserable sick parents. The flu, the same one that had hit the university earlier in the year, was now making the rounds through the local elementary schools was swelling the ranks of the patients in the emergency room. Tonight would be busy, Friday nights always were, but thankfully it would be someone else’s problem. She took a drink of coffee and flipped through the chart she had been reviewing. Scribbling an order to continue the current course of treatment she slapped it shut then moved onto the next one. 

She looked up when the door to the lounge opened and Mrs. Jepson, the head nurse from the pediatrics unit, hustled in. “Doctor Winner?” 

Smiling and setting down her pen Iria nodded. “Yes.” 

“The emergency department just called and they need you down there immediately.” 

Frowning, Iria checked her phone, but there were no missed messages. “Did they say why?” 

Mrs. Jepson shook her head. “They just said to find you and send you down. You need to see Doctor Gentry.” 

Iria’s frown deepened. Gentry was an emergency room doctor who specialized in traumas. The only reason he would want her down there is if he wanted her to observe. Some of the emergency room docs did that from time to time though they usually had their hands full with residents who were on their ER rotations. Why he would want to add another person to the mix was beyond Iria’s comprehension. “Okay. Thank you.” Iria gathered up her files and made a move to pick them up. 

“I’ll just take those.” Mrs. Jepson scooped them up and hurried out leaving Iria feeling even more confused. Whatever it was must be big to have rattled the head nurse. Deciding that time was of the essence she made her way to the stairway and ran down instead of waiting for the old, and notoriously slow, elevator. 

She stopped at the nurse’s station, right inside the doors to the emergency department, tapping her fingers when she had to wait for a nurse to hang up the phone to help her. 

“I’m looking for Doctor Gentry.” 

“What’s your name?” The woman, a beautiful dark skinned latino, asked with a tone that spoke of infinite patience. 

“Doctor Iria Winner.” 

“Doctor Winner. Of course. If you’ll just wait here I’ll get Doctor Gentry for you. 

“Thank you.” Iria smiled, trying not to let her displeasure show at being treated like a demanding relative instead of a colleague. When Gentry emerged from room number five she walked forward, hand outstretched. “Doctor Iria Winner. I was told you wanted to see me.” 

“Yes.” Doctor Gentry shook her hand then stepped back. “Your brother was brought in a few minutes ago by ambulance. According to the paramedic the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car. He’s sustained a mild concussion, abrasions on approximately thirty percent of his body and his left femur is broken. That’s all we know of so far. You’re listed as his emergency contact and I need your permission to do further tests to determine if there any internal injuries. He’s also going to need surgery to set his leg.” 

Iria stared, stunned as she tried to process the shift from annoyed doctor to frightened sister. In light of this new information the last few minutes made a lot more sense. “Yes, of course. Do whatever you need to, just give me the papers and I’ll sign them.” She forced herself to breathe and calm down. Doctor Gentry’s manner didn’t seem rushed or worried, that was a good sign. Unfortunately, logic wasn’t doing a lot to calm the way her heart was clenching in her chest. “Can I see him?” 

“For a minute, he’s sedated and I want to get a full assessment done as soon as possible.” 

“Of course.” 

He gestured towards the room and Iria hurried past him. She paused in the doorway, her eyes drawn to the mangled backpack that sat on the chair just inside. The side closest to her was ripped open and the binding of a textbook, advanced principles of business, was scraped and torn almost to the point of nonexistence. The corner of his tablet stuck out through the tattered material and what she could see of the screen was covered in a network of spider web cracks as well as several deep gouges. His phone, which lay on the chair next to the backpack, appeared to be in even worse shape. The protective case was broken in several places and one side looked like someone had taken a power sander to it. There were several large cracks criss crossing the front and one piece of glass was slightly raised above the level of the rest. 

Saying thank you to the universe that Quatre had landed on his side not his back she pulled herself together and moved towards the bed that dominated the room. Her eyes scanned the machines that surrounded it taking in the numbers and assessing what they meant. Satisfied that he was indeed stable for the moment she forced herself to look down at Quatre. He had a large bruise on his left cheek and his leg was supported in an inflatable cast to keep it immobile. There was a nasty patch of road rash on his left shoulder and side and she assumed that there was more that was covered by the gown he was half wearing. Overall he didn’t look too bad or wouldn’t have if he hadn’t been so still. Forcibly she pushed back the visual of Quatre laying on the pavement, bleeding and in pain. 

No doubt it was an image that would haunt her nightmares for the rest of her life. 

“Oh, Quatre!” She blinked back tears, fighting not to give into the adrenaline fueled fear that was gripping her brain. Reminding herself that he was in good hands she brushed his hair back out of his face and bent to kiss his forehead. “I love you, Little Brother. You’re going to be okay, I promise.” Turning to leave, she nodded to the nurse who had just entered the room. “I’ll be in the lobby, please let me know if there is any change or anything you need.” 

She smiled, warmth and compassion showing on her face. “I’ll make sure the doctor knows where to find you.” 

“Thank you.” Iria brushed a hand across Quatre’s unbruised cheek then took a deep breath and hurried out of the room, mentally making a list of people she needed to call as made her way to the waiting room. 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Duo blinked, then looked around, surprised to realize that he must have fallen asleep. He hadn’t felt that tired when he’d laid down to read, but apparently he was. Oh well, there were worse ways to spend a Friday afternoon than taking a nap. He stretched then sat up and rubbed his face with his hands. It had been a long semester and they were barely halfway through. Second semester always seemed so much longer due to the lack of holidays to break things up. 

He stood and stretched again before crossing the room to check on Trowa. He was curled in a ball, but appeared to be sleeping deeply and with no trouble. A movement under the covers caught Duo’s eyes and he pulled them back, amused to find Trowa’s phone laying on the bed next to him. As he watched, the low battery warning flashed and the phone vibrated before shutting off. Chuckling to himself, Duo carried it over to Trowa’s desk and plugged it in so it could charge, but didn’t bother to turn it back on. Trowa could do that when he was awake enough to use it. 

After a moment of consideration he pulled out his phone and took a picture of Trowa. He sent it to Quatre with a message that Trowa’s phone had died so he wouldn’t worry. Pleased with himself he plopped back down on his bed and opened his laptop. It would be a couple of hours before Heero got out of class and Duo had a shit ton of tv to catch up on now that he had the week off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Iria! How is he? How are you? What can I do?” Iria laughed, a little watery as she was engulfed by a pair of strong arms. 

“They’re running tests now to make sure he doesn’t have any internal injuries. I’m as okay as I can be and you can keep me company so I don’t lose my mind.” She pulled away and smiled gratefully at Allie. Noting the serious expression that seemed so out of place on her friend’s normally cheerful face. 

“I can do that.” She dropped into the chair next to Iria’s and took her hand. “Is there anyone you need me to call?” 

“No. Dad’s on his way and Rashid is going to meet him at the airport and bring him here.” She leaned into Allie, finding comfort in having someone to lean on. “I can’t get a hold of Trowa.”Seeing Allie’s frown she added, “ Quatre’s boyfriend, remember, you met him at my birthday party.” 

Allie brightened, her head bobbing in agreement. “The tall hottie with the shoulders and the painted on jeans. He and our little Quatre had their hands all over each other the whole time. It was really cute.” 

“That’s him.” Iria nodded, smiling faintly at the memory. “He’s not answering my texts and the calls go straight to voicemail. That’s not like him. Every other time I’ve called he’s picked up right away.”

“His phone must be off.” 

Iria nodded taking a deep breath. “That’s what I thought too, but I don’t know any other way to get a hold of him.” 

“Do you know where he lives?” Allie crinkled her brow in thought. “I could drive over and see if he’s home.” 

“He’s in the dorms, but I’m not sure which one.” Iria frowned, concentrating, as she tried to sort through all the information Quatre had given her. “His roommate’s name is Duo Maxwell and Wufei is one of his RAs. That’s all I know. I think Quatre mentioned it was close to the coffeeshop, but most of them are.”

“What about Quatre’s phone? Does he have any of the numbers in it?” 

“Probably,.” Iria frowned. “But, his tablet and phone were both destroyed so there is no way of finding out.”

“I think I might be able to help.” She grinned and rummaged through her purse taking out a cosmetics bag, a scarf and a pad of paper before fishing out her phone. She returned the rest then set the bag on the floor. “I used to date this guy who was an RA. Maybe he’ll know which dorm it is.”

“I hope so.” Iria let out a slow breath and smiled sadly. “Trowa is going to be really upset if he finds out from someone else. I don’t want to do that to him.” 

Allie nodded solemnly then began to type, her fingers flying over the keys. “He needs to be here for Quatre.” 

“Yes, he does.” 

They sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in her own thoughts. When her text message tone sounded Allie picked up the phone and quickly read the message. “Andy came through. He says that Wufei is in Centennial Hall and he’s even added the phone number. It’s the main desk, but they should be able to give us the RA number or transfer to their phone.” 

“Thank God!” Carefully Iria transferred the numbers to her phone and hit send. “Tell him I owe him coffee or a meal or something. My first born maybe.” 

Allie laughed and shook her head. “I’m not telling him that. He can barely take care of himself. He’ll probably take you up on the food though. That boy is always hungry.” 

Iria smirked then her expression shifted as the phone on the other end was answered. The young woman was polite and explained that there was no way to transfer Iria to the RA’s phone, but she could give her the number so that Iria could dial it directly herself.

“Come on, answer!” Iria listened to the phone ring for the second time urging whoever might be on the other end to pick up. Normally she was a very patient person, but right now she felt like her whole life was on hold and she could do nothing to make things move any quicker.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Centennial Hall Residence Assistants, Wufei Chang speaking.” They weren’t required to use a script when answering the phone, but Wufei preferred to do so. That way if it was a wrong number the caller knew immediately.

“Wufei! Thank God! It’s Iria Winner. I’ve been trying to get a hold of Trowa and his phone keeps going to voicemail. Can you check and see if he’s there or if Duo knows where he is?” 

Frowning, Wufei got up from his desk and headed for the door. “He’s supposed to be spending the week with Quatre. Have you tried calling your brother?”

“He’s not.” Iria took a deep breath, but her voice was still shaky when she spoke. “Quatre was in an accident. Some asshole pulled out in front of him and…” The sound of Wufei’s surprise cut her off and she took another breath to steady herself. “Trowa wasn’t with him and I need to get in touch with him as soon as possible.” 

“How bad is it?” Wufei knocked on Trowa and Duo’s door, his fingers tightening around the phone. 

“A broken leg, cuts and bruises are all we know so far. They’re checking him out right now.” 

“Just a minute. Duo’s here.” 

Wufei lowered the phone. Then offered it to Duo. “It’s Iria, Quatre’s sister, he’s been in an accident and she’s been trying to get in contact with Barton, but apparently he is not answering his phone. Do you know where he is?” 

“He’s here.” Duo opened the door wider and took the phone at the same time. “Iria? It’s Duo.” 

“Duo! Do you know where Trowa is? He’s not answering his phone and I need to talk to him.” 

“He’s here, sleeping. I dosed him up with cold meds earlier and he’s out. I can try to wake him up if you need me to, but if it can wait he’ll be way more coherent tomorrow.” Duo’s voice was calm, with an undertone of concern and focusing on it helped Iria to pull herself out of adrenaline drenched relief that was giving her the shakes. 

“Quatre’s been in an accident. We’re at the hospital.” 

“What happened and which hospital?” 

“He got hit by a car. That’s all I know right now.. We’re at University. Allie’s here and my dad and Uncle Rashid are on their way.”

“Okay. I’m going to try to wake Tro up. We’ll be there as soon as I get him kinda conscious. Do you have a pen?” He waited while Allie scrounged one up then gave her his number. “Text me and tell me it’s you and I’ll add you to my contacts.”

“Okay. Thank you.” The line went dead on the other end and Duo handed the phone back to Wufei. 

“Can you text Heero and let him know what is going on? Maybe he can get out of class early and take us over to the hospital.” 

“I’ll text him and tell him to meet us. I can take you and Barton with me.” 

“Thanks.” Duo smiled then sat down next to Trowa on the bed. “Hey, Tro. You need to wake up buddy. Quatre’s been in an accident and we need to go to the hospital.” 

Trowa muttered something and tried to bury himself deeper into his pillow. 

“I know.” Duo ran a hand down Trowa’s arm then shook his shoulder gently. “Come on Tro, Quatre needs you.” 

“Quatre?” Trowa’s eyes slowly opened though they were glassy and unfocused. 

“Yeah, Quatre needs you to get up and go to the hospital.” 

“S’alright. Iria’s at the hospital. He’s viziting.” Trowa’s eyes slipped closed again and Duo sighed. On his phone his text ring tone chirped followed by the sound of Wufei’s message alert.

Wufei read the text quickly. “Heero is leaving now and will pick us up.” He skipped the part about Heero not wanting Wufei to drive because he was not in a safe state of mind to be behind the wheel. That was between him and Heero and Maxwell did not need to know about it. 

“Good. If I can get Tro to wake up we’ll be able to meet him in the parking lot.” 

Duo turned his attention back to Trowa, shaking him a little harder this time. “Tro, come on buddy. Wake up. Quatre…” Before he could finish his sentence Trowa’s arms wrapped around his waist and he pillowed his head in Duo’s lap. 

Despite the seriousness of the situation Wufei couldn’t stop the laugh. Duo’s look of helpless bemusement was much too funny. 

Something about the sound seemed to startle Trowa and he opened his eyes. Sitting up clumsily he glared at Duo. “You’re not Quatre. Where’s he?” 

“Sorry, buddy.” He stood, steadying Trowa so he stayed upright. “I can take you to him, but you gotta get up.” 

“Okay.” Trowa yawned, smiling groggily. He stood, with a little help from Duo, swaying, but managed to stay on his feet. 

Duo grabbed his phone then slipped into his sneakers, trying them quickly. He glanced at Trowa’s shoes then sighed and handed them to Wufei. “Here, you carry these. I’ll put them on him in the car.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cathy hurried through the automatic doors into the lobby of the emergency room. Just inside she stopped, scanning room for a familiar face. After a moment she spotted Duo sitting with a group of people and made her way towards them. “Where’s Trowa?” She asked perching on the edge of one of the molded plastic seats. 

“He’s in one of the rooms in back.” Duo gestured over his shoulder to where the entryway to the treatment rooms was. “Iria took one look at him and said he needed to be checked over. I think she needed something to do, but it isn’t going to hurt either.” 

A petite blonde sitting next to Duo nodded her head. “She can’t do anything for Quatre so she figured she could take care of Trowa. Iria’s like that, she has to be doing something. Are you Cathy?” 

Cathy nodded. “Yes.” 

“Hi! I’m Allie. Irira said for you to go in when you got here.” 

“Okay.” Cathy bounced to her feet. “Where are they?” 

“I’ll show you.” Duo rose then leaned down to kiss Heero. “Be back in a minute.” 

Duo dodged around the end of the row of chairs, leading her away from the main desk towards the back area. He smiled and waved at the woman seated behind a plate glass window then said thank you when she buzzed through the double doors. Once inside the hallway he pointed to room three. “They’re in there. I’ll meet you back out in the lobby.” 

“Thank you.” On impulse she hugged him before hurrying towards the room. Trowa had always hated doctors and hospitals so the sooner she got in there the better. She knocked lightly on the door then opened it a bit. “It’s Cathy.” She opened the door a little further and slipped in shutting it behind her.

Trowa sat on the examination table, shoes untied, blinking slowly as if he was trying to wake up from a deep sleep. He attempted to smile at her despite the fact that someone, Iria, Cathy assumed, was looking down his throat. She switched off the light and tossed the tongue depressor in the trash before turning and offering a hand. “I’m Iria, Quatre’s sister. I’m sorry we had to meet like this.” 

Cathy shook solemnly. “So am I. What have you heard? Is Quatre going to be okay?” 

Iria nodded, a tired smile gracing her features. “We think so. So far all the tests have shown no internal injuries so that’s good. He’s sedated now. We’re waiting for an operating room to open up so that they can set his leg.” 

“Oh, good!” Cathy moved to stand next to Trowa feeling him lean into her as soon as she was close enough. “What about Trowa?”

“Just a cold. Nothing serious.” Iria tapped Trowa’s knee and he slowly opened his eyes. “I need you to drop them and bend over. I’m going to give you a shot in your butt.” 

Trowa narrowed his eyes at her, looking less intimidating and more like a cranky little boy, but slid off the table and fumbled his belt open. 

“What are you giving him?” 

“A long acting antibiotic and something to help counter the sedating effects of the cold meds he took. It should help him wake up and clear his head.” 

“Okay.” She stepped back to observe, surprised at how compliant Trowa was. Even the meds in his system didn’t explain his lack of resistance to being prodded and given a shot, something he hated. 

When Iria had finished she capped the syringe and put it in the sharps container. “Once you’re dressed you can go back out to the lobby. You should start feeling better pretty soon.” 

Trowa nodded, his eyes focused on his task. “Thank you.” When his belt was secure he smiled at Iria and pulled her into a hug, holding her close for a moment before letting her go. “Thank you.”

“It was nothing.” She blushed and Cathy was struck by the similarity between Iria and Quatre. “We can’t have you spreading those germs. There’s enough sick people out there already.” 

Watching the two of them Cathy made a mental note to call and invite Iria to coffee once things settled down. She was obviously important to Trowa and that made her someone that Cathy felt was worth the time it would take to get to know. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The surgical waiting room was less crowded than the lobby of the emergency room and the chairs, while not comfortable, were at least padded. Mr. Winner stretched then checked his watch. It had been and hour and fifteen minutes since Quatre had gone into surgery, twenty minutes longer than the surgeon had estimated. It was concerning, but not worrisome. At least not yet. He would give them fifteen more minutes before he asked for an update. 

A woman in a police officer's uniform, stepped into the room and looked around. Her eyes slipped past most of the party to settle on Mr. Winner. Smiling somewhat stiffly she walked towards him and offered a hand. “Mr Winner?” When he nodded she offered him a hand. “My name is Officer Noin. I’ll be handling your son’s case.” 

“What can I do to help?” Mr. Winner asked, hoping this would give his mind something to focus on besides the picture of Quatre being wheeled down the hall into the surgical area. 

“I need to get a statement from your son, but I was told he is still surgery. I wanted to touch base and tell you what we know so far.” 

“Please, sit down. What can you tell us about the accident?”

Rashid stood without being asked, offering his chair so she could make herself comfortable.

“Thank you.” She sat down then began to flip through the pages of her notebook. “According to witnesses your son was traveling north on Center Street when a car driven by Mr. George Ryan failed to yield to a stop sign. Your son attempted to brake, but was not able to stop in time. His motorcycle collided with the driver’s side front tire of Mr. Ryan’s vehicle and he was thrown from the bike sustaining multiple injuries. He was treated on scene by paramedics and transported by ambulance to University Medical.” 

“Was the other driver injured?” Rashid asked, his voice surprisingly soft. 

“Nothing serious. He bumped his head on the steering wheel. He was treated and released an hour or so ago. As of right now he has only been cited for failure to yield, but that might change once we’ve finished the investigation.” 

“Had he been drinking?” Iria asked, all too aware of the dangers of drinking and driving. 

“We don’t have the blood test results yet, but the officer who spoke with him didn’t seem to think so.” Officer Noin smiled. “Mr. Ryan was on his way home after working a ten hour shift so it is possible that fatigue was a contributing factor.” 

“What about Quatre’s bike?” Trowa spoke, surprising Officer Noin who had assumed he was asleep from the way he was resting with his head on Cathy’s shoulder. He had not moved or said a word until that moment. 

“I’m sorry, it will most likely be a total loss. It’s been removed to the impound lot for now.” Officer Noin replied, sounding genuinely saddened. “It was a beautiful bike. Unfortunately, Mr. Ryan swerved after the collision and the rear tires ran over it.” 

“Oh, man.” Duo blew out a breath causing his bangs to flutter. “Q is not going to happy. He talks about that bike like Gollum talks about the one ring.” 

Wufei snorted, amusement glowing in his eyes. “I am going to tell him you said that, Maxwell. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled by the comparison.” 

“That’s pretty accurate.” Trowa added, smiling warmly. His eyes were less glassy and he seemed more genuinely tired than sick. “Just substitute baby for precious.”

“He worked hard to earn the money for it.” Mr. Winner chuckled, pride in his son’s accomplishment clear on his face. “And he has taken good care of it. He has every reason to proud.”

“This is my card.” Officer Noin offered one to Mr. Winner then pulled a stack from her belt pouch when everyone reached for it. She handed them out quickly, seemingly surprised by the response. “I’ll be by some time tomorrow to interview your son and I’ll have the preliminary report number at that time for you to give to your insurance company.” 

“Does he need an attorney?” 

Officer Noin shifted her gaze from Mr. Winner to Rashid who had moved to an empty chair at the end of the row. 

“Not at this time. Everything at this time indicates that he was not at fault.” She closed her notebook and returned it to her shirt pocket before standing. “Have a good night.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Mr. Winner looked around at the people dozing and or speaking quietly to each other. They were all very different from each other and yet each and every one obviously cared for Quatre enough to spend the evening in multiple hospital waiting rooms without complaint. It gave him hope that maybe his son had begun to form his own maganac group. Loyal friends that would be there for him throughout the course of his life. 

Quatre had a kind and generous heart and he tended to see the best in people until proven otherwise. In that way he was so much like his mother. Yet, despite that he was careful with his affections and resisted letting anyone in too close. Once he did, though, it was there were no reserves, nothing held back. Seeing him emotionally closed off and then careful to the point of being skittish as a result of his relationship with that _boy_ had been almost more than Hiram could bear. Even now just thinking the name was enough to raise his blood pressure to dangerous levels.

When Iria had called at the beginning of the school year to say that Quatre was dating someone new Hiram had been surprised, shocked really, then worried that it might be a rebound with the potential to blow up in his face, leaving him even more unwilling to trust. Iria’s whole hearted approval along with Rashid’s had eased his mind some, as had the the happy, confident tone of Quatre’s texts, emails, and phone calls. Still, Hiram had remained wary, ready to protect his son, if Quatre began to falter or lose himself again.

Meeting Trowa over winter break had begun the process of changing Hiram’s mind. Trowa had been polite and obviously nervous, but his attention remained firmly on Quatre instead of attempting to make brownie points with Mr. Winner. That was something that Hiram had hated immensely about Darren, he always treated Quatre like an afterthought. That and he spent too much time talking about himself. Actions were what counted with Hiram, not fancy words. It had been his experience that the more someone told you how wonderful they the less it was true. Confidence was something to be respected, arrogance something to be avoided. 

The difference in Quatre had been undeniable. He was sure of himself and his opinions, comfortable stating how he felt while still open to what others had to say. Hiram had spent several enjoyable evenings listening to Quatre and Trowa debate issues and discuss pop culture.  
Hiram had found himself feeling proud and just a touch melancholy to see that his little boy was growing into the man that he always had the potential to be. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

A man in dark blue scrubs stepped into the waiting room and paused scanning the faces for signs of recognition. He pulled his cap off his head and ran his fingers through his hair, lines of exhaustion showing on his face. “Is there someone here for Quatre Winner?” 

“Yes.” Mr. Winner rose and moved towards him offering a hand. Not surprised when he realized that he had a train of people trailing after him like a mother duck with a bunch of ducklings. “I’m his father.”

“I’m Doctor Perkins.” They shook, each taking the other’s measure. “I operated on your son.” 

“How is he?” 

“Good. He came through surgery well. There was more damage than we originally thought, but everything fit back together and the pins have a nice solid surface to attach to. He’s going to be in some pain for a while and he’ll need to be on crutches for at least six weeks and need physical therapy, but his leg should heal completely.” 

“Thank you.” Mr. Winner’s shoulders sagged and he ran a hand over his face. “Thank you so much. When can we see him?” 

“He’s in recovery right now so it will be a few minutes until he is back in his room. Only family tonight and no more than three people at a time. If you go to the nurse’s station they’ll tell you what room he’s in and you can wait there.” 

“We’ll do that.” 

“When can the rest of us see him?” Trowa beat Wufei to the question by barely a beat.

“Tomorrow.” Dr. Perkins replied. “Visiting hours start at eight am though I wouldn’t expect him to be awake that early. It’s going to take a while for the anaesthesia to work its way through his system. He’s going to need some heavy medication for pain management for at least the first week or so.” 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Exhausted, Duo, Trowa and Wufei piled into Heero’s car after Mr. Winner and Rashid had seen Quatre and assured everyone that he appeared to be resting and not in pain. Duo claimed shotgun leaving the back seat for Trowa and Wufei to share. Trowa settled himself behind Duo then clicked on the seat belt, checking to make sure that it had caught. 

“Thank you.” Trowa leaned back and shut his eyes as Wufei snapped on his own belt then relaxed into the seat when Heero started the car. 

“For what?” Wufei turned away from the window, giving Trowa his full attention.

“This.” Trowa made a vague you, me and everything gesture. 

Wufei chuckled flashing Trowa a look. Though it was late and the lighting inside the vehicle was dim Trowa could still make out the look of tired amusement on Wufei’s face. “It’s my job as resident assistant.”

“Not just, for coming to tell us what was going on, but for helping Duo drag my drugged up ass here. For being a good friend to Quatre and not trying to talk him out of dating me.” 

“You assume I didn’t, but Quatre is very strong willed and has a mind of his own. It wouldn’t matter what I said if wanted to date you he would.” There was no mistaking the amused smile on Wufei’s face. 

Trowa smirked, cracking his eyes open for a minute. “I know you didn’t because he would have told me.” 

“Maybe he wanted to spare your feelings. Quatre is also very kind. Often too kind to his detriment.” 

“Maybe you’re full of shit. Though you’re right about him being too kind.” 

Wufei opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by the sound of an incoming text message on all four phones. Trowa pulled his cell out of his pocket, adrenaline spiking as his fears, only banked and not extinguished, burst back to life with a vengeance. 

Trowa clicked on the message waiting impatiently while it loaded. “It’s from Iria.” 

“Mine too.” Duo twisted so he could see in the back seat. 

“So is mine.” Wufei glared at the screen. 

“I thought she didn’t have your numbers.” Trowa frowned, confused. 

“She does now.” Duo grinned, pleased with himself. “ I made sure she had mine, Wufei’s, Heero’s, Cathy’s, and the RA phone. We exchanged numbers while you were passed out and drooling on your sister’s shoulder.” 

Trowa snorted. “I don’t drool.” The message opened to a picture of Quatre smiling groggily at the camera obviously under the influence of good drugs. With the picture was text that Trowa read outloud. “Awake for the moment and feeling no pain.” He chuckled, feeling the tension draining out of him. Recovery would be a long road, but Quatre would be okay. He long as he had that everything else would take care of itself.

“That is going to be blackmail material at some point.” Duo grinned evilly and clicked save on the picture. “Now I just need to wait for the right opportunity to present itself.” 

Giving Duo a pointed look Wufei smiled slightly. “I have no doubt that you’ll make good use of it” He shifted in the seat, stretching his shoulders then turned his attention back to Trowa. “Visiting hours start at eight. I’ll be leaving at seven forty five if you would like a ride. You really shouldn’t drive for at least twenty four hours after taking cold medicine.” 

“Thanks. I’ll be ready.” Trowa smiled, his gaze fixed on the photo, memorizing each detail. It wouldn’t even come close to filling the void , but he had a feeling he was going to be sleeping with his phone on his pillow next to him, at least until Quatre was out the hospital and back in Trowa’s arms.


End file.
